Ephraim Sneh called to back Azerbaijan

Former Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said that Jerusalem must publicly state its diplomatic support for Baku, following the deterioration of the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, according to cursorinfo.co.il.

The current ceasefire in Azerbaijan's occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region won't stand the test of time, according to Sneh.

Sneh went on to add that Israel and Azerbaijan are strategic allies. Baku, according to various estimates, supplies up to 40 percent of oil consumed by Israel, he said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.